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Needle (2010)

After the credits, an old an old man is assaulted by an unseen attacker who leaves a hole in his chest like he was shot by a cannon.

This unpleasantness passes quickly, then we cut to a college campus where it is quickly demonstrated that Australia’s production of Elle Macpherson was no fluke. Just to further drive home the point, one of the girls is in a lesbian relationship with a French Exchange Student. This is just the kind of craftsmanship that is sadly lacking in American movies today.

Ben is visited at his room by Mr. Joshua, a representative from his father’s estate. He has brought Ben a box found in a storage unit. Ben is ready to ready to eBay it, but understandably uses it first to entice some girls back to his room.

One of the group fatefully records their image with some sort of picture-taking device that does not have a phone in it, and actually is able to produce said image on paper — how retro!

Ben’s ne’er-do-well brother Marcus shows up at the room. Somehow this drifter has secured a gig with the police as a crime scene photographer. He is generally a good guy throughout the film, but is immediately set up as unlikeable, and pulls that off perfectly. I think it is the haircut.

Ben discovers the box has been stolen. An unseen person begins cutting up the aforementioned photo, and inserts one of the gang’s headshot into the machine. After adding some liquids, the machine produces a waxy doll that can be used for voodoo-like effects. It also seems to wreak havoc on electrical systems. The mystery person uses the doll to inflict numerous fatal cuts on the victim.

The gang is pretty quick to draw a connection between the missing box and their dead friend. Another of the gang has their picture inserted, and the box again works its magic. It is more grizzly this time as not only is the victim sliced by an invisible knife, he has limbs lacked off.

The mystery figure is revealed, the motive is disclosed, and there is a proper comeuppance.

Overall, a nice little film with mostly likeable characters, a few shocks, and good pacing.

Post-Post:

Mr. Joshua is a pretty unusual name not to be a callback to Gary Busey in the first Lethal Weapon, but there seems to be no connection.